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Epistemology of Jainas
in an all-pervading substance. The modal change also implies the change of place.
Jayanta has traced the act theory of knowledge to a grammatical prejudice, a confusion between knowledge as a manifestation and the verb to know which denotes an action. When we hear the expression “I know? I cognize' we are apt to be misted to the idea that knowledge or cognition is an activity or process which implies some motion or physical change. But this only shows how in philosophy the vague expressions of ordinary language are inisleading
On observation it will appear that all verbs do not imply a change or action on the part of the agent. In cert.in cases the veros express the very existence of the agent. When we say, 'the moon shines' it does express any change of the part of the moon. It is an expression of the very existence of a luminary, Similarly, when we say, 'the mirror reflects', at the removal of a veil covering it we do not mean any positive action on the part of the mirror. It simply means the removal of obscurance and existence of the mirror. In the case of knowledge the Jaina also does not mean any positive action. It is simply removal of obscurance which automatically results into the manifestation of an object. According to Parthasarathil the conception of agent does not imply movement. Even the omnipresent soul is the agent of sacrifice, knowledge, volition, desire etc. without the possibility of any movement Action in these cases means, merely the sense expressed by a verb. In the case of movements also, he argues, the soul is agent, merely on the basis of its being commandant. The movement is possible in body only and not the soul. According to Nyāya also it is not action but a quality which is generated through a certain contact. The same is knowledge. The Mimāṁsā conception of knowledge as an activity is comparable with the conception of mode (vștti) held by the Sankhya and the Vedānta.
1. Sāstradīpikā p. 119
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